The invention relates to a method of positioning a holder with respect to a carrier.
In such a method and device, which is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,599, the holder comprises a light modulation panel and the carrier is an optical element which is to be aligned with respect to the light modulation panel. To this end, use is made of an adjusting mechanism which has a plurality of dowels and eccentric pins which are connected to the carrier. The holder has a plurality of slots through which the dowels and pins extend. The position of the holder with respect to the carrier is adjusted by means of the eccentric pin, whereafter the holder and the carrier are rigidly connected together by means of screws.
A drawback of such a method is that it requires a relatively large number of operations before a holder is aligned in six degrees of freedom with respect to a carrier. These six degrees of freedom comprise three translation directions extending transversely to each other and three directions of rotation situated transversely to each other.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method in which a holder can be positioned in a simple manner with respect to a carrier in at least one direction, and subsequently fixed.
In the method according to the invention, the object is achieved in that the holder has at least one slot, while the carrier is provided with a carrier plate and at least a bar, a first end of which is pivotally connected to the carrier plate and an end remote from the first end is pivotally connected to an element which is slidable in the slot, the element being connected to the holder after positioning the holder with respect to the carrier.
After connection of the holder with the carrier, the holder is fixed with respect to the carrier in a direction extending parallel to the bar.
An embodiment of the method according to the invention is characterized in that the carrier is provided with at least six bars situated in planes extending transversely to the carrier plate, while at least two bars extend away from each other in a first plane extending transversely to the carrier plate, at least two bars extend away from each other in a second plane extending transversely to the carrier plate, and at least two bars extend away from each other in a third plane situated parallel to the second plane and transversely to the first plane, the holder being fixed with respect to the carrier in six degrees of freedom after connection to the elements.
The bars situated in the first plane and extending transversely away from each other, extend away from each other in a direction situated parallel to the carrier plate. By connecting the holder with these bars, a displacement of the holder in this direction extending parallel to the carrier plate can be prevented. Similarly, a displacement of the holder with respect to the carrier can be prevented in a direction in the second and the third plane and parallel to the carrier plate by means of the four bars situated in the second and the third plane. The holder can be fixed with respect to the carrier in a direction extending transversely to the carrier plate by means of the six bars extending transversely to the carrier plate. Moreover, the holder can also be blocked against pivoting about axes extending parallel and transversely to the carrier plate by means of the six bars extending transversely to the carrier plate. During positioning of the holder with respect to the carrier, the elements connected to the bars can slide through the slots and the elements can pivot with respect to the bars and the carrier plate. The holder is thus positionable in six degrees of freedom with respect to the carrier. After subsequent connection of the elements with the holder, the displacement of the holder in each of these six degrees of freedom is suppressed effectively.
The invention also relates to a device by means of which a holder can be positioned in a simple way with respect to a carrier, and subsequently fixed.
In the device according to the invention, this object is achieved in that the holder has at least one slot, while the carrier is provided with a carrier plate and at least a bar, a first end of which is pivotally connected to the carrier plate and an end remote from the first end is pivotally connected to an element which is slidable in the slot, the element being connectable to the holder.
The bar prevents a displacement of the holder with respect to the carrier in a direction parallel to the bar.
These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will be elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.